Kayihura arrest sends shock waves

The former Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura, the erstwhile confidante of President Yoweri Museveni is no longer a free man. Gen. Kayihura was picked from his home in Lyantonde, western Uganda by members of the elite Special Forces Brigade, the President’s protection command, and was flown to the UPDF headquaters in Mbuya.

Reliable reports indicate that Gen. Kayihura was arrested along with most of his close commanders at the time he was IGP. These include Herbert Muhangi, the former commandant of the Flying Squad and former commandant of Kampala Metropolitan Police Siraj Bakaleke.

Although government spokespersons struggled to refute on-the-ground reports that the army had mounted a search operation for Gen. Kayihura, they later admitted that Kayihura had been summoned by the Chief of Defence Forces Gen. David Muhoozi.

The arrest of Gen. Kayihura sent shock waves across the security and other government agencies where, The Sunrise understands, he had a number of loyalists.

Kayihura’s arrest, as well as his close confidants, comes nearly a week after he was blocked from leaving the country through Entebbe International Airport.

Although the timing of Kayihura’s arrest is particularly significant as it comes hardly a week after the bloody murder of former Arua Munucipality Member of Parliament Ibrahim Abiriga. However, reliable sources have hinted that Kayihura’s arrest is linked to ongoing investigations surrounding the murders of European investors in Sheraton and Pearl of Africa Hotel and the brutal murder of the late AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi.

Kayihura’s arrest is also significant because of the huge level of trust he enjoyed from the President that included entrusting him with billions of money for all security operations by the Police, Chieftence of Military Intelligence (CMI) as well as that of Internal Security Organisation (ISO).

Kayihura’s arrest is another dramatic development in Uganda’s fledgling security, and extends the list of people of military generals that have crossed the red line.

During his 13 years as IGP, Kayihura recruited and promoted thousands of people into the army. Although his successor Okoth Ochola has tried to shake-up the force, it is impossible to erase Kayihura’s influence in the force in just months.

Kayihura also created an army of Community Police officers, thought to be in millions of people many of whom he paid regular allowances and to him they paid allegiance.